This dessert is super easy to make and would be a big hit for Mother’s Day on Sunday.  I was a little unsure how my homemade carmel would come out, but it was simple (3 ingredients) and only took a few minutes, then ganache on top.

Crust ingredients – 1 regular bag of oreos, 8 tbs butter (melted)

Finely grind oreos in food processor (or place them in a bag and smash them a rolling pin).  Combine with butter.  Press into bottom and up sides is standard size pie plate.  Place on freezer 10 minutes.

Filling ingredients  – 2/3 cup brown sugar, 8 tbs butter, 1/4 cup heavy cream

Cook and stir brown sugar and butter over medium.heat until it boils.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cream.  Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes. Pour into crust. Place in freezer 30 minutes.

Ganache ingredients- 1 bag of chocolate chips (semisweet, milk or dark chocolate) 1 cup heavy cream.

In microwave proof bowl, heat cream for 90 seconds.  (Should be pretty hot).  Add chips.  Let stand 5 minutes. Stir smooth.  Pour on top of carmel layer.  Place in freezer 30 minutes.  Enjoy!   Store covered  in fridge.

I think the early morning people at ESPN Radio will appreciate this tomorrow morning.  Plenty of sugar to wake them up or keep them awake!   Brownie cake (I used the Nestle double chocolate brownie recipe, with a tweak or two) , sweet funfetti filling and chocolatell ganache on top (and let’s face it.. Chocolate ganache is just a fancy name for melted chocolate :))

Brownies (you can also use your favorite recipe or make 2 boxed brownie mixes as directed)

Ingredients – 3 cups chocolate chips, 3/4 cup butter, 4 1/2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 3/4 cups + 2 tbs flour, 1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking soda.

Directions – preheat oven to 350.  melt chips and butter for  45 seconds to 1 minute in microwave.  Stir smooth.  Blend in sugar.  Mix eggs in well.  Add vanilla.  Fold in flour and baking soda.  Grease 2 –  8 inch square or 2 standard round cake pans.  Divide dough equally in the two pans.  Bake 20 -30 minutes (toothpick inserted in center basically comes out clean).  Cool.

Place 1 brownie layer on plate

Filling ingredients – 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 – 15.25 oz funfetti cake mix (or another flavor if you want), 1/2 cup + 3 tbs flour,  3-6 tbs milk or heavy cream

Directions – melt butter.  Mix in sugar.  Stir in vanilla.   Add cake mix and flour.  Blend in milk (may need more to thin it out, if you prefer).  

Spread half in top of  brownie layer on plate.

Top with 2nd brownie layer.

Ganache – 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Hesat cream and chips 1 minute in microwave. Stir smooth. Add powdered sugar.  Pour on top brownie layer

check out my latest baking video on youtube – Monster Cookies stuffed with Reese’s eggs

I wanted a recipe to stuff all my leftover Reese’s eggs with.  I have already done chocolate chip stuffed cookies, so I wanted something different. (God forbid I make the same thing twice) I came across this Monster cookies recipe, so I used it.  My husband ate one and said “these are great.  They don’t look like much, but they’re tremendous! ” 

This is also the subject of my next baking video, coming soon to youtube!

Ingredients – 3/4 cup butter (softened), 3/4 cup peanut butter,  1 1/2 cups brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cups), 1 1/2 eggs, 3 tsp vanilla, 1 cup + 2 tbs flour, 1 1/3 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking powder, 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt,      2 1/4 cups oats  (quick or instant), 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, Reese’s eggs

Directions – cream butter, brown sugar and peanut butter.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Fold in oats and chips.  Form 1 tbs on top and another tbs on bottom of Reese’s egg  to cover.  Chill 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheets with nonstick  baking liners or silpat.  Stagger 8 cookies on each sheet.  Bake 12-18 minutes.  Cool and store in covered container.

Today’ s treat is a recipe from our friends at Betty Crocker.  Everyone loves smores and this is an easy way to get that fix without the campfire.  You could probably substitute a different cookie mix, like peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie or chocolate cookie, instead of the sugar cookie mix,  if you want. 

To crush the gram crackers, you can use a food processor or rolling pin.  I left mine in the sleeve and smashed them with my rolling pin.  I enjoyed that immensely. 🙂

Ingredients  – 1 sugar cookie mix, 3/4 cup butter (softened), 1 sleeve of graham crackers (crushed finely), 1 egg, mini milk chocolate bars 

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray standard size muffin cups with baking spray.  Combine sugar cookie mix, egg, butter and graham ctacker crumbs.   Scoop 2 tbs into each muffin ton, pressing down slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven and immediately top each cup with a bar (or two) of chocolate.  Let sit 10 minutes and spread chocolate over top.  Cool completely.

Frosting – 1/4 cup butter (softened), 3/4 cup marshmallow fluff, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla.  

Mix well and spoon onto top of chocolate layer.  Store in covered container.  

Today’s recipe is a request from my 4 year old nephew, Jackson.  He asked for oreos or carmel  and I opted for oreos.

Ingredients – 1 cup of butter (softened), 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour (scooped from flour container into measuring cup), 3/4 cup baking cocoa, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, brown food color (optional)

Directions – Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Stir in food coloring, if using).  Blend in dry ingredients.  Cover and chill dough 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350.  On lightly floured surface, roll dough out 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick.  Use a small round cookie cutter, cup,  or glass and cut. Place baking liners or parchment paper on cookie sheets.  Place 12 to 15 cookies on each sheet.  Bake 9 to 12 minutes (or longer if you want more crisp, oreo-like cookies.  Let cool.

Filling ingredients – 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, 1 tbs sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2-3 tbs water  

Directions – blend well.  Add more water if you prefer, 1 tsp at a time.  

Spread filling between two cookies.  Store in covered container.

Today’s recipe is a request from our friend Frank.  The recipe is by Nestle with one tweak, and  I nicknamed them “the Franks.”  This is pretty much a chocolate chip cookie dough with 3 kinds of chips.  I usually use, white, semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate.  Feel free to substitute other kinds if you want.   I also used 3/4 cup shortening, instead of  another 3/4 cup of butter.  But if crisco freaks you out, then by all means go with just 1 1/2 cups butter.   It is important to chill the dough to make a puffier cookie.  I am a big fan of puffy cookies!   Oh and this makes a lot of cookies, so you may want to cut the recipe in half!

Ingredients – 3/4  cups butter, 3/4 cups shortening, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 1/4 brown sugar, 2 eggs,  1 tbs vanilla, 4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions – cream butter,shortening,  sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients.  Blend in chips.   I actually has to mix them in by hand because there is so much dough!   Roll 1/4 cup dough into mounds.    (I make mounds because I want puffy cookies)  Chill at least 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350.  Place non-stick baking liners on top of cookie sheets.  I stagger 8 cookies per sheet.   Bake 10 to 14 minutes until light golden patches appear on top.  (I usually take my cookies out a little early, as they continue to cook on the cookie sheet as they cool. And I love my cookies on the gushie side)  let cool and store in covered container.

Carrot cake is my favorite kind of cake, probably because of the frosting.  Over the last few years, I have found some great homemade carrot cake recipes.  The only problem is grating  the carrots.  It is a ton of work and takes a lot of time.  So I came across this recipe that uses baby food carrots.  It makes a dense, moist cake.  I also add mini chocolate chips (a tip from my mother in law) to make the cake even better.   And the cream cheese frosting is perfect!

Ingredients – 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups oil, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp connamon, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 12 oz baby food carrots, 1 cup mini chocolate chips.

(You can also add some a can of drained pineapple, 1 cup of walnuts, and/or 1 cup of coconut, when you mix in the mini chipa)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix eggs, sugar, oil and flour.  Add cinnamon, salt, baking sof a and baby food carrots.  Fold in chips. Pour batter into a pan that has been sprayed with baking spray.  For a bundt pan, bake 40 to 50 minutes.  Two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, bake 20 to 30 minutes.  For a 9×13 rectangular pan, bake 20 to 30 minutes.  Your cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes put basically with just a few crumbs.  Let cool completely.

Frosting – 8 oz cream cheese (softened), 1 3/4 cups butter (softened) 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, milk or heavy cream.

Cream butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar. Add  cream or milk (1 to 2 tba at a time) to thin out frosting as much as you would like.  Stir in vanilla.  

This makes a decent amount of frosting.  I used all of it.  But, if you don’t want a lot of frosting, you can save some and use it for whoopie pies or some other treat. (Don’t worry of your don’t like a lot of frosting, we can still be friends)

This guy looooooves frosting!